The number of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points added to the network in London, the East and South East, has increased by nearly 2,700 in the past 12 months, according to UK Power Networks.
The findings were released in the run-up to National Drive Electric Week, which started on 25th September. There are now over 9,000 charge points in London, the East and South East, served by UK Power Networks.
UK Power Networks estimates there will be 4.5 million EVs in the areas it serves by 2030, when sales of new petrol and diesel cars are banned as the UK strives to meet Net Zero by 2050.
Data from the Society of Motor Manufactures and Traders adds that approximately one in six vehicles (17%) sold in June were electric – the highest market share since December (23.4%). There are now about 594,000 EVs in the UK, with an estimated 154,000 in the areas served by UK Power Networks. These numbers don’t include standard home EV chargers which can be installed by an electrician and run off the home mains supply.
Shira Lappin, innovation project lead at UK Power Networks, said: “It’s important that we work with local and central government, charge point operators, customers and other stakeholders to ensure that the transition to Net Zero is a seamless one and everyone has access to the charging infrastructure they need.
“In the 12-month period between April 2020 and April this year, the number of charge points in our areas grew by 42%. However, there’s still a lot of work to do to meet the growing demand for EVs and charge points, and we’ll continue to be at the forefront of innovation to get there.”
Earlier this year, UK Power Networks launched its Green Recovery programme, with £66m being invested, including enabling 11 motorway service areas to install more than 600 ultra-fast 150kW chargers. This investment, combined with collaborative work across the sector, aims to create the new infrastructure that inspires customers with the confidence to switch to an EV.
